News from the Library of Congress

May 2025

April 2025

  • April 23, 2025  (25-025)
    Mac Barnett Embarks on Tour as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature The Library of Congress, in partnership with Every Child a Reader, announces the launch of National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Mac Barnett’s national tour with a visit to Coronado, California, this spring. He will travel to Elkhart, Indiana; Greensboro, North Carolina; Hanover, Pennsylvania; and Manvel, Texas this fall.During his tour, Barnett will share his passion for picture books and invite children and adults…
    • Date: 2025-04-24
  • April 23, 2025  (25-032)
    Members of the Cast and Creative Team of Broadway’s “Dead Outlaw” Visit Library of Congress May 12 The Library of Congress will welcome members of the creative team and Broadway cast members from the award-winning production of "Dead Outlaw" to the Coolidge Auditorium May 12 for an exclusive performance of selections from the show. Artifacts representing the development of the musical will be donated to the Library’s collection. Special guests at this event include David Yazbek, Erik Della Penna, Itamar Moses,…
    • Date: 2025-04-24
  • April 16, 2025  (25-028)
    James McBride, Aimee Nezhukumatathil and Jlin Join Live! At the Library in May James McBride, the 2024 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction winner, joins Live! At the Library on May 8 for a special conversation and book signing. Also on May 8, visitors are invited to the Library’s Great Hall at 5 p.m. for a unique musical journey highlighting the intercultural tapestry of Jewish and Islamic traditions. Interweaving songs in Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish and Ladino,…
    • Date: 2025-04-17
  • April 13, 2025  (25-027)
    The Greatest Show On Earth Comes to the Library of Congress Feld Entertainment, a worldwide leader in live entertainment experiences, has donated a series of historic items to the Library of Congress, ranging from the earliest known photograph of P.T. Barnum’s Circus to a commemorative program featuring the first Black ringmaster. Sourced from the Feld Entertainment Collections – personal archives housed at Feld Entertainment Studios in Florida – these materials reflect more than 150 years…
    • Date: 2025-04-14
  • April 8, 2025  (25-024)
    National Recording Registry Inducts Sounds of Elton John, Chicago, Broadway’s ‘Hamilton,’ Mary J. Blige, Amy Winehouse, Minecraft and Microsoft Elton John’s monumental album “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” Chicago’s debut “Chicago Transit Authority,” the original cast recording of Broadway’s “Hamilton,” Mary J. Blige’s “My Life,” Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black,” Microsoft’s reboot chime, and the soundtrack to the Minecraft video game phenomenon have been selected as some of the defining sounds of history and culture that will join the National Recording Registry of the…
    • Date: 2025-04-09

March 2025

  • March 25, 2025  (25-021)
    “The Two Georges,” a Companion Book to the New Library of Congress Exhibition, Explores Lives of George Washington and King George III “The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution” is the first book to simultaneously explore in depth the lives and contributions of two globally significant figures of the late 18th century: George III (1738–1820), king of Great Britain, and George Washington (1732–1799), first president of the United States. Serving as the official companion publication to the new Library of Congress exhibition, the…
    • Date: 2025-03-26
  • March 25, 2025  (25-022)
    “The Two Georges,” a New Exhibition Opening at Library of Congress, Will Reveal George Washington and King George III in Their Own Words Our understanding of George Washington and King George III of Britain is clouded by myths that have accumulated over centuries. A new exhibition opening March 28 at the Library of Congress seeks to reveal the real men behind the myths. While George III and Washington never met during their lifetimes, “The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution” brings them together for…
    • Date: 2025-03-26
  • March 23, 2025  (25-A02)
    Jefferson Building Access Mar. 25 On Tuesday, Mar. 25, due to a special event, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building will be closed to visitors. No timed-entry passes will be offered for the day.Researchers may access the Jefferson Building reading rooms as they will be open normal hours of service with regular access. Entry is via the Independence Avenue door of the Madison Building.There is no impact to James Madison…
    • Date: 2025-03-24
  • March 19, 2025  (25-020)
    Circus Arts, Science and Poet Laureate Visit Live! At the Library in April Visitors are invited on April 10 to celebrate the donation of circus arts materials to the national library as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® circus performers visit the Library of Congress. On April 3, visitors of all ages are invited to join a night of science experiments led by Library’s Preservation experts.Also during Discovery Night, nonfiction writers Carl Zimmer, Mindy Weisberger and Rebecca…
    • Date: 2025-03-20
  • March 11, 2025  (25-A01)
    Advisory: Possible Federal Government Shutdown In the event of a temporary shutdown of the federal government effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 15, all Library of Congress buildings will be CLOSED to the public and researchers.All public events will be cancelled. Also, all inquiries and requests to the Library of Congress web-based services will not be received or responded to until the shutdown ends. Information on loc.gov will not be…
    • Date: 2025-03-12
  • March 10, 2025  (25-018)
    Library of Congress and Kansas State Department of Education Announce Return of Professional Learning Program to Kansas in April The Library of Congress and the Kansas State Department of Education have announced that the Library’s foundational professional learning program “Teaching with Primary Sources” for K-12 educators and school librarians will return to Kansas in April. The initiative is dedicated to working with rural communities to explore the use of primary sources from the national library’s vast – and free – digitized collections as…
    • Date: 2025-03-11
  • March 9, 2025  (25-019)
    Library to Host Copyright Public Modernization Committee Meeting April 3 The Library of Congress has announced the next meeting of the Copyright Public Modernization Committee will take place on Thursday, April 3 at 1 p.m. ET. This virtual meeting is open to the public. This second meeting of the second term of the Copyright Public Modernization Committee will highlight results from the limited pilot of the new Enterprise Copyright System standard application and group…
    • Date: 2025-03-10
  • March 5, 2025  (25-017)
    Library Announces Teaching with Primary Sources Regional Grant Awards The Library of Congress recently awarded six Teaching with Primary Sources regional grants. Recipients of these regional grants will make subgrants on behalf of the Library to organizations that wish to integrate Library resources and Teaching with Primary Sources methods into their educational programming.The recipients include Illinois State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Waynesburg University, Middle Tennessee State University, the National Council for…
    • Date: 2025-03-06

February 2025

  • February 25, 2025  (25-015)
    Library and The Better Angels Society Open Submissions for Seventh Annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film The Library of Congress, The Better Angels Society, Ken Burns, and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation today announced the open call for entries for the seventh annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, which provides critical recognition and resources to filmmakers who produce exemplary documentary films that tell compelling stories about American history.The Prize for Film was established in 2019 by the…
    • Date: 2025-02-26
  • February 19, 2025  (25-014)
    Attend a Regency Ball and Celebrate Women’s History Month During Live! At the Library in March Visitors are invited to celebrate the opening of the new Library of Congress exhibition “The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution” during a Regency Ball during Live! At the Library on March 27. Attendees are encouraged to wear period costumes or U.S. and U.K.-inspired outfits. The program will include an English folk dance workshop, British-themed DJ sets, photo opportunities, a walkthrough…
    • Date: 2025-02-20
  • February 17, 2025  (25-012)
    Library of Congress Family Day Program Celebrates the National Cherry Blossom Festival The Library of Congress will host its annual Japanese Culture Day in celebration of the 2025 National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual commemoration of Japan’s 1912 gift of 3,020 cherry trees to the U.S.Japanese Culture Day will be held at the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building on Saturday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The program features family activities, Japanese musical instrument demonstrations,…
    • Date: 2025-02-18
  • February 10, 2025  (25-013)
    Feb. 11 Inclement Weather On Tuesday, February 11, due to pending inclement weather, the Library of Congress buildings on Capitol Hill will close to visitors and researchers at 1 p.m.
    • Date: 2025-02-11
  • February 6, 2025  (25-009)
    Library of Congress and Kansas State Department of Education Announce New Professional Learning Program The Library of Congress and the Kansas State Department of Education are working together to bring the Library’s foundational professional learning program “Teaching with Primary Sources” to K-12 educators and school librarians throughout the state in February and April 2025. The initiative is dedicated to working with rural communities to explore the use of primary sources from the national library’s vast – and free…
    • Date: 2025-02-07
  • February 3, 2025  (25-011)
    Join the Library of Congress for a Douglass Day 2025 Transcribe-a-Thon and Other Black History Month Events On Feb. 14, history enthusiasts and the public can celebrate the extraordinary legacy of Frederick Douglass by joining a virtual transcribe-a-thon of rare books and manuscripts on African American history on Douglass Day. In 2024, Library of Congress volunteers shattered records by completing 16,000 transcription actions on Douglass Day.Hosted by the Library’s By the People program, this virtual event celebrates Douglass’ chosen birthday and…
    • Date: 2025-02-04
  • February 2, 2025  (25-006)
    Mac Barnett Named New National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature The Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader today announced the appointment of Mac Barnett as the 2025-2026 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Barnett is the ninth author to hold this position. He succeeds Meg Medina, who served as the National Ambassador from 2023 through 2024.Barnett is the author of more than 60 books for children, including “Twenty Questions,” “Sam & Dave…
    • Date: 2025-02-03

January 2025

  • January 29, 2025  (25-010)
    Copyright Office Releases Part 2 of Artificial Intelligence Report Today, the U.S. Copyright Office is releasing Part 2 of its report on the legal and policy issues related to copyright and artificial intelligence. This Part of the Report addresses the copyrightability of outputs created using generative AI.The Copyright Office affirms that existing principles of copyright law are flexible enough to apply to this new technology, as they have applied to technological innovations in…
    • Date: 2025-01-30
  • January 22, 2025  (25-008)
    Library’s Monthly Family Day Series Continues in 2025 The Library of Congress will host Family Days on select Saturdays throughout 2025, including winter and spring programming around Valentine’s Day, Women’s History Month, Japanese Culture Day, and collections in the Music Division and the American Folklife Center. Each Family Day includes a creative activity, connections to Library of Congress collections, a chance to talk to staff experts, and a guide to using Library…
    • Date: 2025-01-23
  • January 22, 2025  (25-004)
    2025 Supreme Court Fellows Program Annual Lecture to Feature U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson The Law Library of Congress and the Supreme Court Fellows Program will present a conversation with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson for the 2025 Supreme Court Fellows Program Annual Lecture on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 3 p.m. EST.Jackson, born in Washington, D.C., in 1970, has been a justice on the Supreme Court since 2022. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard-Radcliffe College…
    • Date: 2025-01-23
  • January 22, 2025  (25-007)
    Story Time for Grown-ups During Live! at the Library During February Award-winning author-illustrators Cece Bell, Raúl the Third and 2008-2009 National Ambassador for Young People Literature Jon Scieszka will come to the Library of Congress on Feb. 6 for a story time themed event during Live! At the Library in February. Learn about the surprising mechanics and artistry of picture books, enjoy stimulating read-alouds during this cozy night all while sipping hot chocolate under a…
    • Date: 2025-01-23
  • January 12, 2025  (25-003)
    Library of Congress, National Park Service Announce 2024 Holland Prize Winner The Library of Congress and the National Park Service announced today that the 2024 Leicester B. Holland Prize will be presented to architectural designer Laura Pressley for a drawing of the Wainwright Tomb at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, designed by the noted early American modernist architect, Louis Sullivan.Considered one of Sullivan’s masterpieces, the Wainwright Tomb (1893) is a St. Louis landmark. It…
    • Date: 2025-01-13
  • January 7, 2025  (25-001)
    Library of Congress to Host Brooke Shields Discussing New Book on Aging The Library of Congress will host multi-award winner Brooke Shields to discuss her forthcoming book, "Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old.” Visitors are invited to attend the conversation event at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jan. 28 in the Coolidge Auditorium.There will be a book signing in the Whittall Pavilion following the conversation. Free tickets can be obtained at loc.gov/events.Shields is the…
    • Date: 2025-01-08
  • January 6, 2025  (25-002)
    Library of Congress Accepting Applications for the 2025 Literacy Awards Applications are being accepted for the 2025 Library of Congress Literacy Awards from Jan. 7 to Feb. 18. The awards are made possible through the generosity of philanthropist David M. Rubenstein and the Kislak Family Foundation.The Literacy Awards program, sponsored by David M. Rubenstein since 2013 and the Kislak Family Foundation since 2023, recognizes organizations that provide exemplary, innovative and replicable strategies to promote…
    • Date: 2025-01-07
  • January 6, 2025  (25-005)
    Library of Congress to Host Author and Illustrator Dav Pilkey in January The Library of Congress will host Dav Pilkey, the No. 1 worldwide bestselling author and acclaimed illustrator of the global phenomenon “Dog Man” on Wednesday, Jan. 29 starting at 5:30 p.m. During this event, Pilkey will discuss his newest book, “Dog Man: Big Jim Begins” and talk about how books bring people together and help kids develop empathy and compassion.Following the author talk will…
    • Date: 2025-01-07

December 2024

  • December 18, 2024  (24-105)
    25 Films Named to National Film Registry for Preservation Twenty-five films have been selected for the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2024 due to their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today.The new selections date back nearly 130 years and include a diverse group of films, filmmakers and Hollywood landmarks. The selections span from a silent film created to entice…
    • Date: 2024-12-19
  • December 18, 2024  (24-106)
    Live! At the Library Features Expanded Food and Drink Offerings in Late January Visitors are invited to elevate their happy hour experience and try a new seasonally rotating menu of savory snacks, sweet treats and specialty cocktails on Thursday evenings during Live! At the Library in January. The Library will host the weekly offering Jan. 23 and Jan. 30, and the series takes a winter break Jan. 2-16. The expanded menu for Live! At the Library includes…
    • Date: 2024-12-19
  • December 18, 2024  (24-A14)
    Advisory: Possible Federal Government Shutdown In the event of a temporary shutdown of the federal government effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, all Library of Congress buildings will be CLOSED to the public and researchers.All public events will be cancelled. Also, all inquiries and requests to the Library of Congress web-based services will not be received or responded to until the shutdown ends. Information on loc.gov will not be…
    • Date: 2024-12-19
  • December 10, 2024  (24-102)
    Library of Congress Announces Spring 2025 Concert Series Concerts from the Library of Congress continues to celebrate a century of landmark concerts in spring 2025, offering a rich and diverse kaleidoscope of classical music, jazz, pop, folk and dance events, with a major focus on contemporary American voices across genres.The season’s centerpiece is the premiere of Library of Congress commissions from three significant American composers; Tania Léon, Chris Otto and Jlin will…
    • Date: 2024-12-11
  • December 9, 2024  (24-A13)
    Special Operating Hours, Dec. 2024-Jan. 2025 The following is the holiday and special events operation schedule, including building closures for inclement weather, for the Library of Congress for December 2024 through January 2025:Tuesday, Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve)Wednesday, Dec. 25 (Christmas Day)All Library buildings will be CLOSED.The Library’s public spaces and reading rooms will operate as usual during its regular hours Thursday, Dec. 26 through Monday, Dec. 30.Tuesday, Dec. 31 (New…
    • Date: 2024-12-10
  • December 4, 2024  (24-104)
    Library to Host 25th Anniversary National Book Festival in September 2025 The Library of Congress will host the 2025 National Book Festival on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at the Washington Convention Center, festival organizers announced today.This will mark the 25th anniversary of the Library of Congress National Book Festival, which was co-founded in 2001 with first lady Laura Bush. In 2025, the festival will expand its footprint in the Washington Convention Center to host book…
    • Date: 2024-12-05
  • December 2, 2024  (24-103)
    Library Appoints New Chief for National Audio-Visual Conservation Center The Library of Congress has named Rachael Stoeltje as the new chief of the Library’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, which includes the Library’s Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia, beginning in January 2025.Stoeltje will oversee the state-of-the-art facility where the Library of Congress acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings.…
    • Date: 2024-12-03
  • December 1, 2024  (24-098)
    Library of Congress Launches Digitized Collection of National AIDS Memorial Quilt Records The Library of Congress has released a groundbreaking online collection of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt Records, making one of the most poignant symbols of the AIDS epidemic in the United States available to a global audience. As the largest communal art project in the world, the AIDS Memorial Quilt honors the lives of all Americans who have died of AIDS since 1981, when…
    • Date: 2024-12-02

November 2024

  • November 24, 2024  (24-101)
    Library of Congress to Host Panel on Human Rights Day The Library of Congress will host an online panel discussion about Human Rights Day on Dec. 4 focused on the state of accessibility laws worldwide, featuring a member of Congress and experts from the Library. The timely discussion, ahead of the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, will address the legal frameworks for expanding access for individuals with disabilities and how…
    • Date: 2024-11-25
  • November 19, 2024  (24-097)
    Library of Congress to Celebrate Meg Medina’s Two Years as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature The Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader will celebrate Meg Medina’s two-year term as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature with a special closing event for local students in the Washington, D.C., area on Dec. 12.“Meg Medina’s tenure as ambassador was extraordinary,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “Not only did Meg show us how talking about books develops our reading lives,…
    • Date: 2024-11-20
  • November 19, 2024  (24-100)
    Celebrate the Holidays During Live! At The Library in December Visitors are invited to celebrate the holidays during Live! At the Library in December during our holiday celebration on Dec. 12. Enjoy festive happy hour food and drinks, winter crafts and live music all while enjoying the most beautiful Christmas tree in Washington, D.C.On Dec. 19, hear the Library's Stradivari instruments played live by the Pacifica Quartet. Plus, visitors on Dec. 26 are invited…
    • Date: 2024-11-20
  • November 13, 2024  (24-A12)
    Jefferson Building Access Nov. 14 On Thursday, Nov. 14, due to a special event, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building will close to visitors at 3 p.m. There is no impact to James Madison Memorial or John Adams buildings.Researchers may access the Jefferson Building reading rooms as they will be open normal hours of service with regular access, however the Main Reading Room will close at 4:30 p.m. Entry is…
    • Date: 2024-11-14
  • November 13, 2024  (24-094)
    Library of Congress Acquires Papers of Academy Award-Winning Songwriter Burt Bacharach Library of Congress Acquires Papers of Academy Award-Winning Songwriter Burt BacharachBacharach’s Papers are the Library’s First Collection from a Gershwin Prize HonoreeThe Library of Congress has acquired the papers of songwriter and composer Burt Bacharach. Bacharach’s songs are best known for influencing popular music starting in the late 1950s. This is the first collection acquired from a recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin…
    • Date: 2024-11-14
  • November 12, 2024  (24-099)
    Library of Congress Awards Bobbitt Poetry Prize to Arthur Sze The Library of Congress will award the 2024 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry to National Book Award winner Arthur Sze for lifetime achievement in poetry.Sze of Santa Fe, New Mexico, will receive the prize on Thursday, Dec. 5, at 6:30 p.m. during an event in the Mumford Room of the Library’s Madison Building. The event is free, and registration is open to…
    • Date: 2024-11-13
  • November 3, 2024  (24-A11)
    Library Open for Veterans Day Nov. 11 The Library of Congress will be open to visitors with timed-entry passes on the federal Veterans Day holiday, Monday, November 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including public spaces in the Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions.In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to tour the Library's magnificent Main Reading Room — a rare opportunity to go inside one of Washington’s most beautiful…
    • Date: 2024-11-04

October 2024